House passes health exchange bill

The Wyoming House of Representatives has given final approval to a bill that would allow the state to continue to study setting up a Health Insurance Exchange. Supporters of the legislation would like to see if an exchange works, whether or not the federal health care law remains in place.

House Labor and Health Committee Chair Elaine Harvey tried to convince the House to speed up the process.

“We need to develop a health exchange benefit package. What package is Wyoming going to have and then we need to set up an actuarial study, what can Wyoming afford to have.”

Harvey’s motion was denied, but the bill passed. It allows the state to work on ways to set up an exchange so that people can more easily find affordable health insurance in an on-line marketplace.